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Canterbury Bells
Campanula medium
Canterbury Bells blooms from May through June.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Canterbury Bells
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–10. Expect it to reach about 2.3 ft tall and 12 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
When to plant Canterbury Bells
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Canterbury Bells into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from May to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 7 in April.
Comes in 4 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Canterbury Bells
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
Its biggest limit is heat, not cold: it stalls and declines above about 80 F (27 C), so it thrives in cool-summer regions and struggles through hot southern summers. per NC State
Annual or biennial?
Sold as an annual, but the species is really biennial: it flowers year two, then dies. Only bred strains like 'Champion' bloom their first year. per NC State
Wet soil rots the crown
Wet, poorly drained soil rots the crown and roots, this plant's main killer, and drowns the low rosette over winter. Give sharp drainage and keep mulch off the crown. per CAES and Wisconsin
Deadhead, but leave some seed
Deadhead spent spikes for a smaller second flush, but leave some to set seed: as a biennial it dies after flowering, and self-sown seed is its only way to return. per NC State
Draws bees and butterflies
The broad, open bell flowers draw bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, and RHS lists it as a Plants-for-Pollinators selection. per NC State and RHS
Deer and rabbit resistant
Reported resistant to both deer and rabbits. per NC State
What pairs well with Canterbury Bells
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
False Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Joe Pye Weed
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Passionflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; climbs to 13 ft behind it, height without the footprint.
Moonflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; climbs to 13 ft behind it, height without the footprint; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Rose of Sharon
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; taller at 8.2 ft, for the layer behind it; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Flowering Cherry
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; a soft color beside the blue.
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